


This Feeling Inside

by fastestmanalive



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 22:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5350049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fastestmanalive/pseuds/fastestmanalive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this was a commission for the lovely <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVeganTargaryen/works">TheVeganTargaryen</a>. (here's the <a href="http://rickcosnctt.tumblr.com/post/133885531361/fic-commissions">info post</a> if anyone wants to check it out/help me signal boost it)<br/>title from Your Song // Elton John (which is such a Barry/Oliver song fight me)</p>
    </blockquote>





	This Feeling Inside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheVeganTargaryen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVeganTargaryen/gifts).



> this was a commission for the lovely [TheVeganTargaryen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVeganTargaryen/works). (here's the [info post](http://rickcosnctt.tumblr.com/post/133885531361/fic-commissions) if anyone wants to check it out/help me signal boost it)  
> title from Your Song // Elton John (which is such a Barry/Oliver song fight me)

Oliver probably should have realised that Jitters was _not_ the place to talk about secret plans. It was almost always crowded, the baristas constantly busy, and the possibility of being overheard by the wrong person high. Still, he wanted to tell someone as soon as possible, and without his boyfriend knowing.

“You want to do _what_?!”

“Ssshhh,” Oliver hissed, leaning over the counter so that Iris could understand his whisper. “Will you help me or not?”

Iris gaped at him, fiddling with the rag she'd been cleaning the sticky surface with. “Are-- are you sure? I mean, that's a pretty big step...”

“I've been sure for-- Oh. Hi, Kendra!” He waved at Iris's colleague, who gave him a confused smile and kept walking to clear tables. Oliver waited until she was out of earshot. “Could we go somewhere... more private? I really don't want anyone to know just yet.”

Iris bit her lip apprehensively but nodded. “Meet me in the backroom in five. I'll make sure no one bothers us.”

 

“So... I need you to explain this to me.” Iris sat down on a box full of cleaning supplies and crossed her legs. “Why do you want to do this _now_? Don't you think it's a bit too soon?”

Oliver frowned. “Barry and I have been together for two years. It's not _too soon_ , Iris.” He knew what she meant – they only saw each other every other weekend, didn't live together, didn't know what it was like to be around each other all the time. He couldn't help but feel defensive, though. “I love him, and he--”

“I _know_ that you love each other. But...” She hesitated when she saw Oliver's glare; even though they had begun a tentative friendship in the past months – mostly for Barry's sake, now that he and Oliver were getting more serious – they still didn't know how to behave around each other sometimes. “Neither of you have ever been in a long-term relationship. Do you really think...?”

“Yes,” Oliver said quietly, intently, leaning against the cool stone wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “I'm sure about this, Iris. Even if he says no... I'm sure.”

Iris sighed and shook her head in defeat. “Alright, I'll help you.” She got up from her box and smoothed out her skirt. “But only because you'll _need_ my help. I want you two to be happy, and Barry deserves a proper proposal.” Iris opened the door and turned her head with a small grin. “C'mon, we've got work to do.”

 

They actually did get some things done – like deciding on a location, the rooftop where Barry first told him about his new-found powers – before Barry got home. Iris had decided that they use the West's house for their planning; Barry would never think about snooping in a place so obvious, even if he suspected something.

“Hi?” A confused but warm smile spreading on his lips, he walked over to where Oliver and Iris were lounging on the sofa – Iris had hidden the print-outs on colour schemes and ring designs under the cushion behind her back – and leaned down. Oliver caught the cue immediately, craning his neck up to receive a soft kiss and another “ _Hi_ ”, whispered against his mouth. He decided to ignore Iris' cooing and smiled at his boyfriend instead. “Be right back,” Barry grinned and ran off with a _woosh_.

“You two are gross,” Iris said with a grin, shaking her head fondly. Oliver felt his cheeks grow warm and fought down a blush. “I'm gonna leave you to it, take the time to look at rings at the mall. You don't have to buy any of them but a little inspiration doesn't hurt. And then I'll go to the flower shop, look at what they have there.”

Oliver was taken aback at her sudden determination to help him – just a few hours ago she wasn't even sure proposing was a good idea. “Feels like you're planning the wedding already,” he mumbled and shifted in his seat. “I just want a simple engagement, no fuss.”

Iris didn't seem to hear him, though. She was already looking through the sheets she'd hidden again. “Okay, yeah,” she muttered absentmindedly and stood. “Dad'll be home soon, so no funny business anywhere but Barry's room.”

“I don't--”

“Have fun!” she called and slammed the door shut behind her, leaving a confused Oliver behind, who was wondering if it had been a mistake asking Barry's best friend to help him with this.

 

Over the next week, while Oliver stayed in Central City (much to Barry's delight), Iris dragged him from one side of the city to the other; he was pretty sure he'd been every single shop carrying suits and rings and flowers, some twice. Oliver knew that Barry was suspicious – although he and Iris were never hostile, they'd never really spent much time together – but he didn't say anything, at least not at first.

It was in the middle of the night, when they were lying in bed – naked and sweaty and coming down from their high – when Barry finally said something.

“So what's going on between you and Iris?” he asked breathlessly, chest still heaving from exertion.

Oliver grimaced and hid his face in the warm skin of Barry's shoulder. “ _That's_ what you think about during sex? _Really_?”

Barry snorted and pulled him closer, tilting his chin up to steal a kiss. “ _No_. I just... Don't get me wrong, I love that you've been here all week, and I _love_ that you and Iris seem to be getting along better lately, but... I don't know, is there something you need to tell me?”

Oliver arched his brows – had Barry figured out their plan, _his_ plan to propose? “No... No, not really. Why?”

Barry narrowed his eyes. “It-- it seems like you two are up to something.”

Oliver stared up at him, eyes flitting between Barry's, and wracked his brain for a plausible explanation. He didn't want to lie to his boyfriend – not after what happened last time – but he couldn't very well tell him the truth either, could he? Oliver decided that a little white lie wouldn't hurt. “Actually, I'm helping Iris with something. She's got this crush...”

“She's finally gonna ask Linda out?” Barry interrupted with a bright grin. “She's been talking about doing it for _months_. I can't believe she didn't even tell me...”

“Well, she did mention that you'd probably get overexcited and ruin everything,” Oliver grinned, relieved that Barry had bought it. “Don't tell her I told you.”

His boyfriend rolled his eyes. “'Course not. At least you're not hiding anything involving us from me.” Barry smiled softly and cupped Oliver's cheek gently. “I was getting worried,” he whispered. Oliver tried to swallow down the bubble of guilt rising in his throat when Barry started kissing him again, oblivious to the lie he'd just been told.

 

After Oliver had convinced Iris to really ask out Linda – she'd protested at first, but he had argued that Barry would eventually find out they'd been lying to him, and besides, hadn't Iris liked her for months? She didn't have a response to that, so Oliver took it as a win – they got back to their big plan.

Iris insisted that they needed music – Oliver grudgingly admitted that they didn't really have a song yet, so Iris took charge of that – and flowers and _food_. He mostly let her make the decisions; he was still working on a speech, on what he could _say_ to Barry to convince him that he meant it, that this was _it_ for him. They'd had discussions about Oliver's past before, most of which had ended in tears and fights and one of them leaving.

Iris brought him out of his reverie by waving her hand in front of his face. “Oliver?”

“Yeah. Yeah, sorry.” He shook his head. “Long night. What were you saying?”

Iris frowned in concern, a hand squeezing his arm. “Are you okay?”

Oliver bit his lip. He considered his options – should he pretend that everything was fine and deal with his issues himself? On the other hand, he'd _just_ started to fully trust Iris. “It's-- I want this to be perfect. I'm worried...”

“You're worried he'll say no,” Iris finished quietly. “Oliver, he _loves_ you--”

“I know.” He gave her a small smile and shook his head again. “You were right. Maybe we're not ready for this.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Iris put both hands on Oliver's shoulders and looked at him with a serious expression on her features. “Do you love him?”

“I-- Yes. Of course.” He had to admit that she looked intimidating when she was determined.

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?”

“ _Yes_.”

“Are you willing to stick with him through bad times? Are you going to leave him when you fight? Are you really sure that you can take all his moods, all his issues and baggage without quitting?”

“I-- I'll stick with him. Of course I will. I don't know why you would--”

“Good,” she cut him off with a grin. “Then, my friend, I think you're ready. Now stop wallowing and let's get on with it.”

 

Oliver knew, theoretically, that they lived dangerous lives. With both Barry and him being superheroes and fighting (sometimes ridiculous) villains on an almost daily basis, anything could happen to either of them anytime. The problem was that he tried not to think about risks most of the time, which was often what brought him into trouble.

Even though they'd called his friends from Star City as backup, Zoom was harder to fight than Oliver had expected. He now realised why Barry had seemed more subdued, more withdrawn lately – he felt helpless, not fast enough, too ashamed of his failure to ask for help. Oliver's heart ached for him.

They were back to back, Zoom running in a circle around them, Barry dodging Thea's arrows so they didn't hit Oliver, Laurel and Diggle fighting from outside the circle. Oliver was beginning to feel dizzy; Zoom was _much_ faster than the Flash, and Oliver had to lean on Barry to stay upright.

Barry was trying to shoot lightning at Zoom, doing his best to avoid hitting the others, but to no avail. Zoom was closing in on them.

“Duck!” Oliver shouted, turning around quickly and shooting arrows – the ones he'd used on the Reverse Flash; he could only hoped that they would work with Zoom, too – over Barry's head. Barry held on to his waist and walked around him with his arms around Oliver, bringing him into the right positions to hit Zoom.

They were five against one. In Oliver's experience, that would have been enough. Over the years he'd learned that there was strength in numbers.

But suddenly everything went downhill. Oliver heard Thea's scream as she was thrown back against a car that was in the way, Laurel's exhausted grunt, and Barry's agonised yell of his name before he was torn out of his arms and into Zoom's grip. The guy was less gentle than his boyfriend; for one, he held Oliver up by his throat.

Zoom wasn't only faster but also a lot _stronger_ than Barry. Oliver tried to remember what to do when strangled, tried to keep his breathing even and slow and brought his legs up to kick Zoom in the chest, but the guy – _was_ he really a guy, or a monster? – moved around too quickly. Oliver squeezed his eyes shut; he realised that he had no chance against Zoom.

“Let him go!” he heard Barry's booming voice, felt the vibrations curse through his body, and he managed a smile. Barry would save him.

Just when Oliver was sure he'd pass out, Zoom let go of him. He hit the rough asphalt hard, coughing and heaving for air. He felt a hand on his shoulder – Laurel's voice reached his ears – and a loud thunder shook the entire alleyway. There was more yelling – Oliver didn't couldn't make out any words, it was too loud and he still had trouble breathing – but after a few moments everything went quiet.

“Ollie?” A leather-clad hand was on his face, the other checking him over. “Ollie, talk to me.” Oliver replied with a cough, throat sore from Zoom's grip. “Ol--”

“Marry me.”

Barry froze. Oliver blinked his eyes open to look up at him. “What?” His tone was breathless, unbelieving. Oliver couldn't suppress a small smile.

“Marry me, please?”

That's what set everything in motion again – Cisco cheered over the intercom (Oliver had almost forgotten that it was on), Laurel and Thea had the same shit-eating grins on their faces as they took a step back, and Diggle crossed his arms with a smile. But all of this Oliver only registered in the back of his mind.

“I--” Barry's eyes were wide and glazed over, his hand gripping Oliver's arm tightly. “I'm-- Yes. _Yes_. Of course I'll marry you, I-- Yes.” He let out a choked laugh, pulled his mask off his face and leaned down for an enthusiastic kiss.

Oliver melted into it after a moment of shock, so relieved that he almost didn't hear Iris' protest of “ _But what about the plan?_ ”.

 


End file.
